


A Date at the Halfpipe

by Valkyri (kisikil)



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Commission fic, F/M, High School AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-10-18 03:17:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10608171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kisikil/pseuds/Valkyri
Summary: Link and Zelda spend their fourth date at the skatepark, where Link teaches Zelda how to skate! But, things don't go exactly as planned...





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [milleniumrex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/milleniumrex/gifts).



> A Legend of Zelda fic commission for [milleniumrex](http://archiveofourown.org/users/milleniumrex)!! This was loads of fun to write
> 
> You can check out my commission prices, rules, etc. [here](https://ikutakotomi.tumblr.com/post/159019033166/rilies-writing-commissions)

_Skateparks were very peculiar places. I wasn't exactly sure if they constituted as actual parks since it was mostly a stretch of concrete with smooth, hollowed portions and railings scattered about. That didn't make it any less interesting, however; in fact, the peculiar set up was what exactly made it more interesting than a grassy park. I probably would've never found myself  at one in my life, and yet here I was, sitting at one of the polished stone benches overlooking the park as I watched my friend, Link, skate about, showing me all sorts of fancy tricks._

_...Or, I shouldn't really say "friend" anymore, should I? This_ was _our fourth date together. I wasn't sure if I should put the label "boyfriend" on him yet, but you could say I was itching to do so. Honestly, I never imagined us reaching this point in our relationship... We_ were _close friends before Link came to me one afternoon after school and shyly, with the lightest shade of red on his cheeks, asked me on our first date. But, we were vastly different: he was more independent, a lone wolf on campus, even breaking some rules like skipping class and skating on campus... But, he was revered as a reliable man, always stepping in when he sees someone harassed and such. On the other hand, I never broke a rule in my life, always content within my assiduous bubble, my mind always focused on university and my future (though, sometimes that mind was sometimes distracted by a certain skateboarding best friend in my history class, the one class he always aimed to attend). For a while, I had deemed us too different to be something more than just good friends..._

_...But, opposites attract, as they say._

_While I was deep in thought, Link rolled up to me on his skateboard. His skateboard had the ends covered in duct tape - at first, I assumed his skateboard was broken, but it turned out to be out of pure aesthetic. What was uncovered revealed a beautiful, galloping red mare with a white mane. Link told me he named her - "her" being the skateboard - "Epona", which was in itself a gorgeous name. He hopped off Epona and stomped the end, causing her to flip in the air and land in his hand. That never ceased to amaze me!_

**Link:** You wanna try?

_Suddenly, my nerves struck me._

_In truth, I was the one who suggested this date - I wanted to become more familiar with one of Link's passions. But, in all honesty... I was nervous. I never rode a skateboard in my life; I've never even skated on roller skates or ridden on a scooter. I preferred my feet firmly on the ground when I was moving, thank you very much. But... I_ wanted _to do this! No matter if I felt nervous, that's all they were: nerves. I was going to learn to skate so we could ride together!_

_...Not that I was particularly sure that I would become_ that _good._

**Link:** You don't have to.

_Link was never a man of many words, but his voice was always laced with how he felt... And I knew I was concerning him._

**Zelda:** No! I want to try this. Even if I only move two inches, I want to try.

_I clapped my hands together and smiled at him. It must've been contagious, since he gave me a soft smile in return._

**Link:** Here.

_He held out Epona. I was flattered! He usually never lets anyone touch Epona, much less ride her!_

_We started with the basics: maintaining balance on the board while stationary. I didn't think that would be too hard - sure, the wheels would be hard to manage, but they couldn't make things too wobbly, right? Right?_

_The minute I stepped my feet on Epona, however, I was proven wrong, for Epona immediately fled from under me, causing me to tumble backwards. Thank goodness Link was behind me to catch me - very valiantly, might I add. But, I couldn't control the embarrassment from heating my face._

**Zelda:** Oh dear, oh dear...

_I was so ashamed!_

**Link:** It's okay. I'll hold you.

_When I tried to stand on Epona again, Link held my waist. I didn't know what made me more flustered: the fact that I had previously underestimated skateboarding so much, or that Link was holding me so intimately. Both were making me very nervous, that's all I knew! I swayed back and forth on Epona, the skateboard threatening the flee once again, but eventually I found my balance, my core, and I managed to keep still on her. Link let go of me, and I found I could maintain this stillness. Suddenly, my foot twitched, and I felt my life flash before my very eyes..._

_...but, I stayed still!_

**Zelda:** Look! I'm managing! I'm staying still!

**Link:** Good job!

**Zelda:** I'm doing it! I'm doing it!

_I sounded like a child, but I didn't care! I was on a skateboard! I could do this!_

_Soon, I could stand on Epona_ and _ride her a few feet in front of me. I did get a bit wobbly after some time on her wheels, but I managed to keep my center of balance. For someone who's never ridden such a sort of thing, I was performing very well if I did say so myself! I believed Link was pretty proud of me too - every time I achieved a new feat, he would clap and congratulate me. In fact, he told me..._

**Link:** You're catching on a lot quicker than most.

_I was so excited! So much so, I may have become a bit cocky._

_At a certain point, I had decided it would be a brilliant, an exceptional idea to try my luck with actually "grinding", if that was the correct term. I rolled up to the edge of the "bowl", as Link told me that huge concrete hole in the ground was, but Link grabbed my shoulder before I could attempt the trick of my lifetime._

**Link:** Are you sure?

**Zelda:** Yes! I believe I can do this!

**Link:** You "believe"?

**Zelda:** I know I can do this!

_That wasn't a very wise comment._

_It turns out that riding on a flat surface was much different than riding on a slope. Of course, I knew this: it was basic science. But, I let my childish excitement get ahold of me which resulted in the worst mistake of my life. Not even an inch off the edge, I lost my balance on Epona and ended up stumbling forward, tumbling down the ramp, and face-planting on the concrete floor. That was the kinder side of my mistake._

_Unfortunately, much more than not, I ended up landing on my foot, causing it to twist in an unnatural way. So much so, I felt something snap in my ankle._

_I screamed._

**Zelda:** Ow, ow, ow! Oh dear, oh dear!

_I cradled my throbbing ankle, rocking back and forth. I heard Epona roll past me, but I could care less. I could care less! Oh dear, the pain! I never knew this sort of pain before - it felt numb, yet it was also pulsating so great; my ankle felt as though it was pulled from my leg with such an undeniable strength. It was terrible, absolutely terrible, and all I could manage to do was rock myself as I fought back the tears that threatened to spill over my cheeks._

_How embarrassing! How humiliating!_

_I didn't even notice when a shadow loomed over me, someone blocking the sun - Link. But, his usual carefree stature was replaced with panic, downright dread and terror washing over his pale face. His teeth were clenched and he was trembling himself, as though he could feel the pain I was. He looked like he wanted to say something, anything... But, he didn't say a word. He looked back and forth, as though he were searching for something, but there was no one around - we were the only two in the skatepark._

**Zelda:** Link...!

_I called out to him, my throat tight with the urge to sob. But, he didn't reply... Verbally, at least. Instead, he kneeled next to me and hovered his hands over my ankle, as though he wanted to mend it in some way. Then, he whipped out his phone and started typing something in it. His thumbs were quivering, but he fought his anxiety, and eventually his phone responded with:_

**Phone:** There is one hospital within ten minutes of your location.

_A hospital?_

**Zelda:** L-Link, I'll be-

_But, before I could finish my statement, he wrapped one arm around my shoulders and the other under my knees, hoisting me from the air and into his arms. My ankle was still throbbing at a terrible intensity, at a horrible rate, but I could still feel the heat rush to my face._

**Zelda:** A-Are you going to carry me all the way to the hospital...?

_Link just nodded before dashing up the bowl's ramp - impressively, might I add - and away from the skatepark. He didn't even remember..._

**Zelda:** W-Wait! What about Epona?!

_He just shook his head. He wasn't even going to stop to pick up his beloved skateboard..._

_There was a sharp pain in my ankle. I let out a yelp, which made Link jump and stare down at me. His gaze plus my welling tears... I had to cover up my face with both of my hands, fighting both my tears and my mortification._

_Oh, the embarrassment!_

_The ten minutes it took to get to the hospital, the phone claimed, was by car. For us, it took twenty, and the only reason it was so quick was because Link ran. Wordless and panicked, Link ran twenty minutes in the blistering sun just to ensure my ankle got medical attention. My ankle throbbed the entire way, and the entire time it was still so overwhelming... But, all the while, I still managed to be so astonished at Link's chivalry._

_Once at the emergency room, I was greeted with delightful news - I had simply sprained my ankle. It felt like I completely ripped my foot off, but nothing was broken. But, I still had to wear a cast to ensure a successful recovery, crutches being my support. I didn't know how I was going to explain my injury to my parents...or to anyone at school, really. "I got too excited learning how to skateboard and ended up tumbling down to my demise like an absolute fool." How would anyone take me seriously after this...?_

_...But, honestly, those fears eventually washed away. Link had stayed with me in the hospital the entire time I was being treated, then walked me home shortly after. He even helped me manage my crutches - turns how he broke enough limbs in the past to be an expert on using them. He was still silent all the while, which concerned me. Yes, he was always very quiet from the start, saying no more than needed, but this was eerie for him. Concerning. Was he angry with me...?_

_But, when we arrived at my home and my parents bombarded me with worry and questions, Link finally spoke for the first time since I had twisted my ankle._

**Link:** I'm sorry.

\---

_The next week at school was a bit more difficult than usual considering I had to juggle everything to accommodate my new livelihood of crutch dependency. The first day was the worst of all, however, as it only grew gradually easier as the days went by._

_I didn't fare all by myself, however - Link stayed right by my side the entire time. In fact, he would be right there when I got out of my parents' car in the morning and helped me in it after school ended. I hardly had to worry about my books and bag since Link carried them for me. He walked me to class and, the minute the bell would ring, he would be right there by my side before I even rose from my desk. He even had me sit during lunch as he got both of our lunches (I told him my lunch number so he wouldn't pay for my lunch, but I had a slight assumption he wasn't using it). He was the first one to sign my cast, in fact; within the mess of colors that were wishes of good health, there was one in dark green that simply said "Get Well" with a small chicken holding a heart._

_Link's anxieties about the day didn't seem to dissipate, however. In fact, I worried that he feared I was angry with him, which was quite the opposite. If I was angry with anyone, it was myself! I was grateful that he started speaking again with what few words he spoke, but he was a bit harder to read than usual..._

_I tried to break the ice on the subject one day, asking him:_

**Zelda:** Did you find Epona?

_But, he monotonously replied:_

**Link:** Yeah.

_And that ended that conversation. I was worried that what happened was straining our relationship... That Link's fears about the incident would cause us to drift away. I was worried he was too afraid to bring it up in case I retaliated. I was worried this would end us, my greatest fear of all._

_That Friday, though, he finally expressed what he was feeling. We settled ourselves under one of the large trees in front after school, under its cool shade and away from the bright sun. I had my flute with me and, in the middle of a composition we were preparing in band for a concert, Link spoke up._

**Link:** Are you mad?

_I immediately stopped playing and turned to meet his eye. His eyebrows were furrowed._

**Zelda:** You mean the skatepark, yes?

**Link:** Yeah.

**Zelda:** Of course not!

_That statement seemed to surprise him._

**Link:** But... I let you get hurt.

**Zelda:** You didn't "let" me get hurt. I became too brash and hurt myself.

**Link:** I could've stopped you.

**Zelda:** You did. Remember? You asked me if I was sure I wanted to do it. I was being foolish... I should be the one apologizing to you for worrying you.

_Link turned his head away from me. He didn't seem to believe my words..._

**Zelda:** Besides, I don't regret it one bit.

**Link:** What?

**Zelda:** This was an...experience, yes. An experience I'll never forget. Doesn't that count for something?

_I reached out and slipped my hand into his._

**Zelda:** When I look back on this day, I'll always remember how you selflessly came to my aid, ran to the hospital, took care of me all this time... That's something I could never be upset with.

_I smiled softly at him. I wasn't sure if my words got through to him...until he finally glanced back at me with his own smile stretched on his face. It wasn't very often when he smiled, but, when he did, his smile seemed to shine brighter than any vibrant color in the world. In his own Link way, he responded simply and joyously:_

**Link:** I'm glad.


End file.
